HILLSBORO, Ore. — Two people rescued from a house fire in southeast Hillsboro earlier this week have died from their injuries, according to Hillsboro Fire & Rescue.
The victims were pulled from a burning home in the 1700 block of SE Oak Street after firefighters responded to reports of a residential fire at approximately 1:43 p.m. on June 25. Authorities confirmed Saturday, June 27, that both individuals succumbed to the life-threatening injuries they sustained in the fire.
Hillsboro Fire & Rescue expressed its condolences to the victims’ families, friends, and loved ones.
“Our firefighters, alongside our partner agencies, worked diligently to rescue both individuals from the home, and this loss is felt deeply across our department and community,” the department said in a statement.
The fire remains under investigation, and officials said no additional information about the cause or origin has been released.
According to Hillsboro Fire & Rescue, multiple 911 callers reported heavy smoke and flames coming from the home and warned that two people were trapped inside and unable to escape. Witnesses reportedly attempted to enter the residence to help but were driven back by intense smoke and fire. A Hillsboro police officer who arrived before firefighters received the same information, which was relayed to responding crews.
Firefighters arriving at the scene encountered heavy fire and smoke coming from the second floor of the home. Crews immediately entered the residence to battle the blaze while simultaneously searching for the trapped occupants. Due to the severity of the conditions, the incident commander requested a second alarm, bringing additional firefighters and equipment to the scene.
As crews worked inside, they encountered worsening conditions at the rear of the home, where an attached deck partially collapsed and dense vegetation created additional hazards.
Firefighters located both victims on the second floor. The first victim was rescued through a second-story window using a ground ladder and transferred to waiting paramedics. Crews then worked to improve visibility inside the home by using positive-pressure ventilation before performing a “window conversion,” cutting away part of the wall beneath a second-story window to create a larger rescue opening. Firefighters used multiple ladders to remove the second victim from the home.
Both individuals were transported to local hospitals with life-threatening injuries. Firefighters completed a thorough search of the residence and confirmed no other occupants remained inside.
Crews extinguished the bulk of the fire within about an hour of the initial 911 call before remaining on scene to extinguish lingering hot spots and monitor for possible rekindles.
During the response, firefighters were also dispatched to a separate, unrelated residential fire elsewhere in Hillsboro.
Hillsboro Public Safety Chaplains responded to provide support to those affected by the incident, including emergency responders. The chaplains continue to offer assistance following the deaths of the two victims.
Several agencies assisted with the emergency response, including Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, Cornelius Fire Department, Lake Oswego Fire Department, Hillsboro Police, AMR Ambulance, Portland General Electric, NW Natural Gas, and Hillsboro Public Safety Chaplains.
The investigation into the fire remains ongoing.
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